UW senior defensive end Shirley leaves team

The Times also reports that sophomore offensive lineman Taylor Hindy has left the program.

Shirley, 6-3, 228 pounds from Fontana, Calif., wants to play his senior season closer to home, a source told the Times.

Shirley made an instant impact as a freshman, logging 8.5 sacks and starting seven games.

Despite playing in all but one game, Shirley saw his production decrease last season as he was mostly used in specialty packages. He logged 13 tackles last season compared to 33 his sophomore year. His 3 sacks last year were down from 6.5 as a sophomore.

Shirley’s departure shouldn’t hurt Washington too much on the defensive line. Every starter is back from a unit that had 41 sacks last year, second-highest in the Pac-12. The Huskies have a bona-fide beast in nose tackle Danny Shelton (6-2, 332), a Sporting News first-team preseason All-American. Some 2015 NFL draft rankings list Shelton as the No. 3 defensive tackle prospect in the nation.

Hindy, from West Hills, Calif., played in two games last season — against Idaho State and Colorado.

Micah Rice

Columbian Sports Editor Micah Rice is the author of Tailgate Talk: College football from a Clark County perspective.